


Aspik Who?

by Nomolosk



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Episode: s03 Desperada Spoilers, F/M, Fix-It, Half-Reveal, Some angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:27:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22503232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nomolosk/pseuds/Nomolosk
Summary: When Ladybug offers Adrien the snake miraculous, Plagg convinces Adrien to refuse it.Basically, what might have happened if Adrien had actually listened to Plagg.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 22
Kudos: 283





	Aspik Who?

**Author's Note:**

> Having trouble with the next chapter of Danse Inversee, so here: have a one-shot I've been working on for a while to tide you over.

“Adrien, this is a really bad idea!” Plagg whisper yelled. They were just around the corner of the sewer from Ladybug, where she was waiting for  _ Adrien _ , not Chat Noir, to meet her.

“But Plagg, Ladybug needs me. She needs Adrien!” Adrien’s eyes went all dreamy. ”She thinks I’m the perfect guy for this mission.”

“You can’t be Chat Noir and another superhero at the same time, which means you’re not the perfect guy for this mission.”

“The lucky charm told her I am,” Adrien retorted, still locked in a daydream.

“That’s not how it works! And you’re not listening,” Plagg hissed. 

“This is my chance to get her to love me as myself,  _ Adrien _ ! I don’t care what costume comes with it, I have to try! Ladybug chose me!”

They both heard Ladybug calling for Adrien at that exact moment. Adrien was about to go charging around the corner, when Plagg zipped in front of him with a death glare on his cute little face. 

“It has nothing to do with your feelings, or her feelings, or anyone’s feelings. I’m telling you right now that if you accept that miraculous from Ladybug, things are going to go very, very badly.”

Adrien was about to retort when Plagg’s abnormally deeper voice registered with him. He paused, narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. “... why?” he finally asked, albeit grudgingly.

“One, you’re  _ supposed _ to be Chat Noir, Ladybug’s  _ partner _ . You’re  _ not _ supposed to use a backup miraculous except in worst case scenarios. Two, if Ladybug’s lucky charm told her to go get backup, it means  _ she needs more than two heroes for this akuma! _ Guess how many heroes she’ll  _ have _ if you ditch me for a newer, more exciting kwami? Unless you’re willing to hand me off to someone else- _ which I DO NOT RECOMMEND-  _ there will still only be  _ two heroes _ on the field! And three- you’ve got experience as Chat Noir, you know what you can do, how to do it, and when. You don’t have the first clue how to handle any other miraculous. Think back to how badly you screwed up in that first fight with Stoneheart. You really want to relive that humiliation, but this time  _ with Ladybug knowing it’s you under the mask? _ ”

Adrien’s eyes had grown wide when Plagg covered the second point, and by the time he finished the third, he looked faintly ill. He swallowed and said, “You know what? You have several good points there. But… how on earth am I supposed to get out of accepting it? I mean, I really don’t want her to think I’m a useless coward, and I can’t just tell her I’m Chat Noir.”

“Adrien?” Ladybug’s voice was growing fainter. She must have moved in the opposite direction. Adrien waffled, not able to refute the logic of Plagg’s arguments, but not quite ready to give up this chance of impressing Ladybug as himself for once.

“Why not?” Plagg asked, when Adrien finally looked back up at him.

Adrien stared at him. “What do you mean,  _ why not? _ ”

“Why can’t you tell Ladybug that you can’t accept the miraculous because you already have one?”

“Because then I’d have to give you up…”

Plagg snorted. “Hardly. That identities thing is only a hard and fast rule before you’ve both proven yourselves to be trustworthy. Oh, and then there are times when some of the holders have been less than honorable people, in which case the rule remains in effect. But you two? Proven yourselves thrice over by now. Plus, what would be the point of depriving Paris of experienced heroes only to fling two newbies into the fray with a far more experienced Hawk Moth? Honestly, it’d be like shooting fish in a barrel if the Guardian did that. He might as well just hand over the miraculous to Hawk Moth himself.” 

Plagg crossed his stubby little arms and looked at Adrien through half-lidded eyes. “To be honest, Tikki and I are more than fed up with the two of you and how you continue to be so oblivious. This is one of those rare times you can tell Ladybug your identity and technically she  _ can’t _ get mad at you for it, because it literally affects how well you can fight an akuma with her. You want her to know who you are, right?  _ Then don’t waste this chance. _ ”

Adrien leaned against the wall, trying not to think about what filth might be growing on it, as he digested everything Plagg had said. “But wouldn’t her knowing my identity compromise how well we fight together, too?” he finally asked. “Especially if I just spring it on her now, when we’re already in the middle of a fight?”

“It could,” Plagg admitted. “But not as much as going into the fight short one hero. And if she thought Chat Noir had just ditched her? That wouldn’t be good for your working relationship, either.”

Adrien let out a huge breath. “This isn’t going to be easy.”

“Nothing ever is, kid. Especially when it’s important.”

\----

Ladybug jogged through the sewer, beginning to get concerned. The last she’d seen Adrien, he and Luka were going to hide together. When Chat claimed he could locate Adrien with his keen sense of smell, she had been skeptical, but willing to try it. When that had failed, she’d been confident Adrien couldn’t be too far away from where Luka was. After all, there weren’t that many places to hide in the sewers that were, you know, sanitary. Somehow, she couldn’t see  _ Adrien Agreste _ submerging himself in the stagnant water of the storm drains to evade detection.

But the fact was that she’d been looking for him for ten minutes, Desperada was  _ still _ at large, and she had yet to find her backup hero to give him the stupid miraculous already!

So she was infinitely relieved when she heard a faint cry of “Ladybug” coming from a side passage. She immediately turned that direction. Even if it turned out to be Chat Noir, he might have found Adrien, or Adrien could even be with him!

But it was Adrien alone, she saw as she jogged closer. He was standing beside a ladder leading up to a manhole. By this time Ladybug was thoroughly turned around, and she was grateful for the mapping function on her yo-yo because otherwise she would have had no clue how to get back to where Desperada waited for them.

“Adrien! Finally! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

Adrien suddenly looked nervous. “Yes, I know. Chat Noir, uh, told me. It’s... why I came looking for you.” He swung his arms awkwardly- a very strange happenstance, considering it was Adrien- and continued. “So, um, why were you looking for me?”

“My Lucky Charm told me Chat and I needed an extra team member this time,” Ladybug replied, pulling the miracle box out of her yo-yo. “Adrien Agreste, this is the miraculous of the snake, which grants the power of Second Chance. You will use it for the greater good.”

Adrien stared at the box in her hand with a wistful expression on his face. He didn’t reach for it. He took a deep breath and said, “I’m sorry Ladybug, but… I can’t.”

Ladybug blinked. This had never happened before. Usually the people she chose to temporarily wield a miraculous were more than happy to oblige. She frowned, thinking. Could this have something to do with his father? Yes, he must be worried Gabriel would find out and ground him for life for being so reckless.

“If you’re worried about being recognized, don’t be. The miraculous will protect your identity- no one will know it’s you under the mask, not even your father. Chat Noir won’t even know.”

Adrien blinked back at her. “No… no that’s not what I’m worried about. It’s just… I’m flattered, really, that you think I’m worthy to have a miraculous. As usual, your instincts are  _ spot-on, _ ” he said, with a sly quirk to his lips. His eyelid twitched, as if he almost winked at her.

She stared at him. “Uh, then why…?”

Adrien sighed heavily and ran his hand through his hair, mussing it slightly. “It’s… hard to say. I mean, not that I don’t want to tell you!” he said quickly. “It’s just… you’ll be mad at me.”

Ladybug frowned. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on, but… this  _ is _ optional. It’s not like I’m forcing you to fight. I thought… well,” she looked down, suddenly sad. “Maybe I chose wrong after all.”

She turned away. Maybe Luka would do well with the snake? At least she knew exactly where to find him... 

To her surprise, Adrien caught her arm before she could go.

“Ladybug wait,” he said. “I’m sorry. But the reason I can’t accept this miraculous from you is because it wouldn’t fulfill what your lucky charm told you you needed.”

Ladybug froze, then turned back to him, a concerned frown marring her features. How could Adrien know anything about what her lucky charm meant?

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, if I took that miraculous and fought by your side with it, you wouldn’t have  _ everyone _ you need to defeat the akuma.” He was looking at her, staring at her with such intensity that her responding blush nearly gave her a sunburn. It was like he could force her to understand with his gaze alone. Instead, Ladybug found herself reeling, floundering in a sea of confusion and panic.

“Your lucky charm told you you needed backup- another superhero, right? That’s why you went to get the extra miraculous, and why you thought of, well, me. But… you wouldn’t have the whole team if I accepted it,” his gaze grew a little fearful, “because  _ Chat Noir _ wouldn’t be there.”

Ladybug froze. He couldn’t… it didn’t… surely,  _ he _ wasn’t… 

Her eyes snapped down to his hand on her arm, to the silver ring he always,  _ always _ wore. She blinked, then her gaze traveled slowly back up to his face, her mouth dropping open as she saw the naked love written there.

“I can serve you better as myself, my lady,” he said softly. “As… as Chat Noir.”

Ladybug pulled her arm away, gasping in shock. She could  _ feel _ the panic attack poised above her, ready to crash down around her. Adrien,  _ Adrien Agreste _ , was Chat Noir. And he’d chosen this, of all moments, to reveal himself to her, even though he knew what would happen if she knew who he was. She was struck by a sudden desire to both collapse in hysterical laughter (because  _ of course _ she would have spent a year rejecting Chat Noir for Adrien only to find out Adrien  _ was _ Chat Noir), and throttling him with rage for his careless disregard for the realities of their situation and their duty to Paris.

_ Now wait a minute, _ one part of her mind insisted.  _ Is he really being careless? Or is he being responsible? What if he took that miraculous and tried to use it? Would it even work for him, if he’s actually Chat Noir? Could he use it effectively if he’s already bound to another miraculous? And isn’t he right about needing three superheroes? If he’d taken it, who knows what would have happened with only the two of you in the fight. Second Chance is powerful, but what kind of toll would it take on his mind if the two of you failed over and over and over again because you didn’t have Chat Noir fighting with you? _

Fortunately for Ladybug’s impending mental breakdown, Luka found them at that point.

Adrien licked his lips nervously, and stepped back a pace. “I’m sorry, Ladybug,” he said. “I don’t think I can accept this. But why don’t you try Luka? He seems like a good guy. I bet he would make an excellent hero.”

Ladybug closed her eyes, clenching her hand around the miraculous box and took two deep breaths. Then she opened her eyes, glared at her detransformed partner and promised, “We’ll talk about this later.”

Then, and only then, did she turn around, forcing a smile to her unwilling mouth, and offer the box to Luka.

“Luka Couffaine, this is the miraculous of the snake, which offers the power of…”

\----

The battle went better than either of them expected. Chat Noir was nervous and jumpy, and Ladybug had a tendency to ignore him, but they only needed five second chances to win against Desperada. Once Viperion had figured out how to distract the other musician by playing his lyre-weapon, Chat Noir and Ladybug tag-teamed her and destroyed her object, releasing the akuma. 

Afterwards, Ladybug reclaimed Sass from Luka and everyone went their separate ways. Mostly. Distracted as Adrien was with thoughts of how Ladybug was going rip him a new one, he didn’t think about how he was supposed to go back to the houseboat, how Kagami must be waiting for him… he headed straight home, and didn’t notice a certain spotted heroine tailing him.

He jumped through his own window and detransformed- only to nearly have a heart attack when there was a zing! followed by a thump behind him. He clutched at his suddenly racing heart before slowly and stiffly turning to face his partner.

\----

Marinette hadn’t been sure. Not absolutely. Not until she followed Chat Noir home- something that went against all the Ladybug instincts she’d trained into herself- and seen him detransform. Back in the sewers, though he’d told her he was Chat Noir, he obviously hadn’t transformed in front of Luka, merely telling them to go ahead and he was sure Chat Noir would show up soon. So there had still been a glimmer of doubt, a sliver of hope. It was the first time Marinette could remember wishing that someone so important to her actually  _ had _ lied to her. But now it turned out he was telling the truth after all.

She’d basically ignored him for the whole battle, angry for so many reasons she could barely articulate them. He’d always had a horrible sense of timing during akuma battles, but this had to be the worst yet. And if that wasn’t enough, though she was supposed to be focusing on beating Desperada, the only thing she could think about was the many, and horrifying, similarities between the few things she knew about Chat’s home-life… and Adrien’s. Because it just proved that she didn’t really know Adrien at all if she hadn’t picked up on just how bad it was.

But now… seeing the evidence right in front of her, feeling the guilt that came with knowing she had overlooked a huge part of him… seeing the mirrored guilt and fear in his eyes… she knew what she had to do.

\----

Adrien watched a range of emotions spread over his lady’s face, but she remained silent. Finally she stepped forward and took his hand. His  _ ring _ hand. Her other hand came up to cover it, sandwiching it between her own. Adrien couldn’t breathe. She wouldn’t look up at him, didn’t say anything… it felt like an eternity of agony had passed before she finally moved.

She looked up at him with sad, bluebell eyes and stepped away from him… sliding the ring off his finger as she did so. 

Adrien gasped as his whole world fell apart. Plagg had promised him this wouldn’t happen, had sworn that Ladybug would understand, that it wasn’t a hard and fast rule, that… his thoughts derailed into a confused trainwreck of shock and betrayal.

It took Plagg shoving a whole wheel of camembert into his face to get him to snap out of it.

He found himself lying on the floor with no idea how he’d ended up there, Plagg hovering over him with a concerned look in his eye. Adrien raised his shaking hand, but the ring was still gone.

“L-Lady-b-bug? P-Plagg-g?” He stuttered.

“I’m so sorry, kitty, I shouldn’t have done that! I should have thought, I- but you’re ok, you’re ok now...” Ladybug cut herself off, and Adrien noticed that her cheeks were wet. He caught another whiff of odorous cheese and sat up, groaning. He started to wipe the cheese off his face before thinking better of it and heading to the bathroom to wash up. When he came back out, he was more composed, but he was still in shock and had no idea what was going on. Dazed, he sat on the edge of his bed.

“I don’t understand.”

“I… I know,” Ladybug said, hesitantly. Adrien could count on one hand the times he’d seen Ladybug hesitate, and they usually happened at times he would later look back on and identify as key points in their superhero careers. So this had to be pretty important.

“Adrien… Chat Noir… I just realized that, as much as I thought I did- for both sides of you- I didn’t know you. I’ve been overlooking a huge part of you for the longest time, and it… shames me. I offered you a miraculous earlier today, but it was the wrong one. So, I wanted to make it up to you. To let you know I see the whole you, now.” 

Adrien looked up, hope surging back into his heart. Ladybug stood in front of him, holding his ring out on the palm of her hand.

“Adrien Agreste, this is the miraculous of the black cat, which grants the power of destruction. Will you use it for the greater good and… and continue to be the best partner I could ever ask for?”

“Of course,” Adrien breathed, surging to his feet. He reached out for his ring, but instead of taking it from her, he curled her fingers over it and held it between both of his, mirroring her earlier action. “The day I opened that mysterious box was the best day of my life, even though I had no idea what I was getting into. Being Chat Noir has given me more freedom than I ever thought to have, and I’ve always been grateful to Master Fu for giving it to me,” he said, solemnly gazing into her gorgeous eyes. “But now it’s you offering it to me, knowing who I am, and-”

“Ok, ok, we get it. You’re both sappy and lovesick and  _ missing the point. _ ”

Adrien snapped his head around to glare at his kwami, but didn’t miss Ladybug’s soulful expression collapse into barely restrained amusement. He rolled his eyes and sighed. The moment was clearly gone.

“And what’s the point, Plagg?” he asked, resigned to his fate.

“Your constant neglect of me! I’m your kwami, so put your ring back on and  _ feed me already!  _ I wasted a whole wheel of cheese trying to wake you back up! Ladybug, are you just going to stand there while a poor kwami wastes away of starvation?”

Plagg flew away, cackling to himself as Adrien gave chase, the laughter of Ladybug ringing in his ears. Eventually he did go back and retrieve his ring from his partner, after which Plagg allowed himself to be caught and forcibly thrust into the mini fridge where the cheese was kept.

And when Adrien turned back around he could tell, both by the smile on his face and the smile on hers, that they would be just fine. Maybe there was more to talk about and discuss, but… their partnership was stronger than ever. And... if he wasn't mistaking the warmth in her eyes, might just blossom into more.


End file.
